


The Risks and Rewards of Reading Comments

by Chips_and_Ice_Cream



Category: Game Grumps, Real Person Fiction, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Early Grumps, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 04:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19968226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chips_and_Ice_Cream/pseuds/Chips_and_Ice_Cream
Summary: Arin finds himself going to the comment section, and the negativity seems to get to him. But maybe something good can come from this in the end.





	The Risks and Rewards of Reading Comments

**Author's Note:**

> For sinihaukka
> 
> A big thank you to whatwiththeegobangandsuch for betaing!

Arin was nervous as all hell. The first Grumps episode with Dan went up earlier that day and he was worried about how the fans had reacted. Not just for the sake of the show, but for Dan. They’d become so close so quickly and Arin knew Dan was going to get a lot of hate thrown his way. His friend- no, his best friend - was so awesome, and kind, and amazing. Arin couldn’t imagine anyone saying a bad word about Dan.

Maybe… they weren’t? Maybe everyone saw how great Dan was, just like he did. A far fetched hope, sure, but hey, maybe, by some miracle, Arin was right.

And that’s how Arin found himself doing the unthinkable. He went to read the comments on the first Punch Out!! episode.

It… was okay… he guessed. There were a decent amount of defenders, saying they would give “the new guy” a chance. But there were a few which were… oh boy.

_You guys should just end Game Grumps_

_This guy is so unfunny, I didn't laugh once_

_Who wants to "punch-out" the new guy?_

Arin ended up slamming his laptop shut. Who the fuck thought they had the right to judge Dan after 10 minutes? After just one fucking episode!? Arin felt worse than he had about any comment thrown his way. This wasn’t just an upset feeling, this was anger burning in the pit of his stomach.

But why did he feel so strongly? Sure he’d felt mad at people who made fun of his friends before, but not this kind of rage. The only time he remembered feeling this way was when some fucking asshole was harassing Suzy at an old con they’d been at together.

While Arin was working through his emotions, Dan arrived for their Grump Session.

“Hey Ar! You ready to record?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure.” Arin tried to compose himself, moving to try sorting out the game they were playing that day.

He had hoped Dan couldn’t tell he was pissed off, but, of course, Dan noticed. “Hey, Ar,” Dan moved to Arin’s side and put a hand on his shoulder “you, um, you didn’t happen to look over the comments on the new video, did you?”

Damn it, of course Dan figured it out. What else would be bothering Arin today? “Yeah, yeah I read a few.” Arin tried to shrug it off as he moved back to the couch. “Not that any of the fuckers matter. Channel’s better off without them and their negative asses.”

“Arin,” Dan followed him to the couch and pulled Arin into a hug “You really don’t need to be so torn up over this shit, man. I’m used to people throwing hate on the internet by now. I just try not to think about it too much.” Dan pulled back, grabbed a can of Monster to pass to Arin. “Besides, it doesn’t matter what they think about me. Most people seem happy with me as the new co-host, and more importantly, you’re happy with me here, fucking around playing games with you. That’s what matters, dude.”

As Dan spoke, Arin found himself feeling way better than he thought he would. Dan was right. They still had plenty of fans supporting them, and the two of them had fun doing Grumps together.

Arin took a drink from his can, “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, man.”

“No problem,” Dan replied, and grabbed a bag a skittles while Arin started up the NES. He picked up Super Mario Bros. 2 for them today.

It didn’t take long for them to be laughing their asses off at one another, as Dan found his Luigi character in a bad situation.

“Well, this is a fine pickle.”

“A fine day for mayoring!”

“Oh, death approaches!”

Arin and Dan were losing it. If any of those comments had put any doubts in Arin’s mind earlier they were all gone now. Dan is the perfect co-host, the two of them had such good chemistry, Arin knew right from the start. He felt giddy, he couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at Dan. He had the best laugh, the cutest smile, and his eyes practically shined.

Arin stopped, not so suddenly that Dan noticed, but long enough for he himself to process his new realisation.

Arin had a crush on Dan.

Fuck.

Arin didn't say anything. Not that day. Not at the recording session the following week. Not for a good few months actually. Dan was Mr. Straighty Mc'straight pants, it wouldn't even matter that Arin and Suzy were poly, Dan couldn't like him. Hell, he could barely take Arin's story about the D-Club. So, Arin just tried to ignore how he felt. He'd be fine, nothing good would happen if he told Dan anyway, so why bother dwelling on it.

He would've taken this secret to the grave if he had to, for the sake of his and Dan's friendship, and for the show. But that all changed when Arin made the mistake of reading the comments. Again.

He wanted to check that the hate for Dan had died down, which, he was happy to find, looked to be the case. But once he started reading, he managed to fall down the rabbit hole completely, reading comment after comment that reinforced all of his insecurities, so much the positive ones weren't even registering in his mind.

_Arin is transforming from lovably goofy to aggressively moronic._

_I love how Arin is such a hypocrite about how games hold your hand but he can't even do the simple shit at the start of a game._

_Fuck off. This is frustrating to watch. It's just not funny._

Arin hadn't even realised he was silently crying over this until Dan pulled him into a side hug and offered him tissues. He must have arrived without Arin noticing.

"Hey Ar, don't bother reading those, okay? It's not worth getting all worked up over it," Dan said, as he shut the laptop on Arin's behalf.

Arin wiped his eyes. "Thanks Danny, but they're right."

"Bullshit," Dan replied, "They don't know how hard you work when you sit down for Grumps. You're here trying to play a game, make sure everything's recording right, and come up with at least ten minutes of improv. You can't please everyone, Arin. And I totally get how hard it is to accept that, believe me, I've gone through the same shit. But that's one of the reasons I love you. You try to keep everyone happy, even if you aren't." Dan smiled, but that slowly faded as he realised the full extent of what he'd just said, just as Arin realised the same thing.

"You love me?" Arin said, the beginnings of a smile started to form, and he let out a couple of quiet chuckles as Dan started to trip over his own words.

"Uh! Wh-what I meant was I don't love, well no I don't not love you but like, I, uh, I mean I got to thinking and... You're cute and all that and maybe I'm not super straight like I thought, but I know you're like married and, and, fuck, Arin I-"

Arin cut him off with a kiss, even though it was pretty amusing seeing Dan get so flustered.

"Dude, it's cool, Suzy is cool with this. You've been cleared by her since forever. So, how was that kiss?" Arin asked, he loved how he managed to make Dan blush.

"Um, good. But salty."

The two stared at one another for a moment, then they both burst into laughter.

Maybe good things could come from reading bad comments occasionally after all.


End file.
